Delta can't recover from slow start, falls in semifinal

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- After opening the game with four straight turnovers and then missing its first four shots, the second-ranked Delta girls basketball team never led ninth-ranked Chilhowee in Thursday night's Class 2 semifinal at the Hearnes Center.

At times the Bobcats appeared out of the game, trailing by as many as 11 in the first quarter, 10 in the second and 11 again in the third.

Nevertheless, when Delta senior Katrina Flores lined up an open 3-pointer from the right wing with 10 seconds left and let it fly toward the hoop, the Bobcats were one swish of the net away from finally catching Chilhowee.

"I was hoping it was in," Delta senior Rebecca Cook said. "I was praying."

Cook's prayer wasn't answered.

Flores' shot hit off the front rim and into the waiting arms of Chilhowee's Heather Tate to allow the Indians to hold on to their three-point lead and eventually win 56-51.

"It wasn't boring," Delta coach Randy White said. "I wish it had gone the other way. We had some times where we got down 10 or 11 points, and I was very proud of them, because they kept battling back each time."

After a rough start, Delta (26-3) appeared out of contention several times. Chilhowee (28-2) built a 16-5 lead in the first quarter, only to have Delta cut the margin down to seven three times in the second quarter.

After Chilhowee pulled to a 23-13 lead on a on a 3-pointer by junior Mindi Jenkins, Delta went back to work and trimmed the margin down to five after a three-point play by senior Rebecca Below made the score 25-20 at the 1:46 mark. Delta trailed 28-22 at halftime.

"I think we came out blazing guns in the first quarter," Chilhowee coach Travis Fleming said. "I thought whenever we developed that lead they'd get a little nervous. To their credit they had great composure and hit some big shots to get back in the game."

Although Chilhowee pushed the margin back to 10 points early in the third quarter, Fleming had to wonder what his team had to do to shake the pesky Bobcats.

Even after his team scored on three of its first four possessions of the third quarter, Fleming even started to question the scoreboard with his team up 34-24.

He even turned to sophomore reserve Dustie Austin and asked, "Is that score right?"

"It just seemed like we were putting the ball in the basket and executing real well on defense," Fleming said. "I looked up there and it was 10, and I'm tickled with 10. But it just seemed like we would have been spreading it out. Those 3s they were hitting just kept them alive."

Chilhowee stretched the lead to 42-31 with 1:48 left in the third quarter before Delta mounted another comeback. Consecutive 3-pointers by Sarah M. Cook and Rebecca Cook cut the score to 44-37. A steal by Rebecca Cook lead to a three-point play by Sarah M.Cook to make the sore 44-40 entering the fourth quarter.

Sarah M. Cook had 11 points and Rebecca scored eight.

Delta pulled to within 49-46 on a basket by Becky Rozmirsky and had a chance to get closer, but a Below miss was followed by a basket by Mindi Jenkins and a pull-up 3-pointer by Heater Tate to push the margin back to eight at 54-46.

Chilhowee took a five-point lead into the final minute, but an Indians missed basket allowed Below to score a layup off an assist from Flores. Below scored a game-high 18 points.

Delta forced a turnover with 27 seconds left that set up Flores' potential game-tying basket. Flores played just six minutes after tearing her MCL before sectionals.

"At the end of the game, we just survived," Fleming said.

Jenkins led Chilhowee with 15 points and Heather Tate added 14.

Delta, making its first Show-Me Showdown appearance since a second-place finish in 1980, plays for third place at 10:50 a.m. Saturday.